Good Girl, Bad Boy
by P. Violet
Summary: After a night out together, the dynamics between Marshal Lee and Fionna's relationship change, causing new emotions and long buried memories to resurface. Then when Marshall's mother comes to him with a plan, the pair will be met with the biggest test of character they have ever faced, which will either bring them together or tear them apart. Based on "Bad Little Boy" episode.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is based on the episode "Bad Little Boy." It picks up right after Marceline's story ends and Fionna goes of screen**

**I do not own "Adventure Time".**

* * *

*SMACK*

"GAH! You got my eye that time!" Marshall Lee rubbed his eye in pain, at the same time fending off another attack from the petite yet surprisingly strong girl in a white bunny hat. Fionna loomed over him, eyes still a little misty from before, but instead of sadness he was met with an intense glare that he was all too familiar with whenever his jokes went a little too far.

"Glob, Marshall, do you always have to pull stunts like that?! You really had me going that time!" She tried hitting him again, this time the vampire king caught her fist before it made another welt on his already swelling face.

"I'm sorry, girl, I couldn't resist! I didn't even plan it, that spear got me completely by accident. I had to roll with it, it was the perfect opportunity!" She looked at him for a few seconds, then with a tired sigh she flopped down on the ground next to him.

Fionna's reaction was much different than he had expected. He tried to remember a time he ever saw his blonde companion so worked up over any of his past pranks. Not even when he hid poison ivy in her sleeping bag. Granted, he hadn't faked anyone's death that time.

They laid their motionless, watching the sky turn pinker and lighter with the rising sun. Puzzled and a bit uncomfortable, the vampire king said nothing, letting the stillness linger as time passed. Finally he felt her stir. Acting as if he hadn't noticed, Marshall continued to fix his gaze on the sky, resisting the urge to look at his best friend.

"I'm just glad you're alive." She let out slowly.

A pang of guilt went through his chest. Or at least what he imagined guilt must feel like. In the time that Marshall became the most feared being in all of Aaa no one had ever made him feel much of anything, let alone the amount of contempt for himself that those few words caused. He gave up his act and turned to face her. Several emotions flickered across her features that he couldn't recognize because as soon as his body was fully turned the little adventuress buried her face into Marshall's chest, locking her arms tightly around his waist. The feeling of her warm body against his cold frame sent shivers up his spine, stunning him momentarily. He had never been so close to Fionna in all the years that they've known each other. He noticed the way her gold hair caught the morning light. With no space between them he could feel how soft and round her body was, and how small she really was compared to him. It was oddly comfortable. He breathed in the grassy, earthy scent of her tree fort home coming off her blonde hair, a smell he never imagined himself finding so pleasant. As if some invisible force had grabbed a hold of him, Marshall's arms found their way around her body, completing the embrace. Currents surged through his interior, moving and swirling back and forth through places that had been empty for a long time.

Something happened in the vampire. Something he would fiercely regret in the future. Something he wouldn't be aware of until that time. But in that moment Marshall Lee was as oblivious as he was mischievous as a smirk pulled up the corners of his mouth.

"I'm not really 'alive' you know. I wasn't even 'dying' really. More like re-dying." As fast as a switch flip Fionna found her head out of Marshall's shirt and met his smiling eyes, and narrowed her still shining blue ones as her friend let out a long chuckle. The vampire floated up to his feet, taking the blonde with him and setting her down on the ground. She gave him a slight push, fighting to keep a scowl as a smile tried to work its way onto her features. Marshall Lee flashed his signature lopsided grin, placing his hands in his pocket and shrugging his shoulders, as if gesturing with his body that it couldn't be helped.

"C'mon," she wiped her eyes and said, "It's past your bedtime." The adventuress turned a bit so her back faced him, lifting off the flap of her green backpack. On command Marshall shifted his body into its bat form and climbed in just as he felt the back of his neck begin to sizzle in the daylight.

"You know, one of these days I'm gonna get tired of all the pranks and stop hanging out with you" she said as she mounted Cakes back.

"Suuuure, says the girl who made a lumpin' _pranking robot._ You know you love me" said Marshall from the inside of her bag. He could almost hear Fionna's eyes roll.

Cake expanded her body and limbs and propelled the trio high into the air. In no time they were well on their way to Marshall's cave bachelor pad. The vampire king could faintly hear an excited Cake go on about her performance the night before, catching the words "potato" and "genius" before he began to drift off in thought.

_What a girl_ he commented to himself, _she might be able to take on an entire goblin hoard, but she can be such a cry baby._ _Teasing her is too easy._ Still, that guilty feeling from before continued to linger. The whole situation escalated so quickly on its own. What else was he supposed to do, let that golden opportunity get away? If anything, Marshall Lee never missed a chance to show off his brilliantly clever, and more often than not, obnoxious personality. Especially when it came to Fionna, who always provided him with an excuse. Just by being _her. _Always energetic and spunky, plus the naivety that came with her age.

_She was asking for it! Who is she to tell me 'nobody messes with Cake'. I do as I please; I am the Vampire King!_ He felt his chest begin to swell and teeth sharpen in pride. It took him a second to realize he was slowly morphing into his monster form. His eyes widened in realization and he immediately pushed it down and shrunk back to normal.

_Gob, am I always like this?_ _Lighten up, dude. _He said to himself. _What's wrong with me today? I'm turning into a chick, I'm so moody. Maybe worse._ A certain gummy pink face came to memory and a shudder went through his body. Marshall shook his head and leaned back against what appeared to be the Enchiridion, a staple item the adventuress always had on her. He looked around and took in his surroundings. He recognized a few items right away; a magnifying glass, compass, a few shurikens, some paper scraps, and the dulcimer Cake loved to play. Something else caught his eye, so insignificant he probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't so familiar. Sticking out from behind Cake's instrument was a small shiny but fading piece of photo paper. Marshall leaned over and pulled it from behind the wood, carefully keeping the aging scrap from tearing. When he finally got it loose, it took him a few seconds to realize what he was looking at. Two small familiar eyes gazed back at him, shining and bright with youth. He looked lower and saw a small button nose, and two lips turned up exposing a toothy grin. Black wavy hair framed slightly pudgy cheeks, with a rosy olive complexion. His mouth opened in shock.

"That's…me." Though it was torn and yellow, there was no denying the uncanny resemblance. He had almost forgotten about this picture. Its memory had been completely put out of his mind until it resurfaced a couple months ago. He went back into his memory, when the leaves started to change and the weather got increasingly chilly. They had just gotten back from going on an adventure in the East Woods. Marshall Lee and Fionna had decided they were done messing with pixies and went back to Marshall's place for a jam session. The blonde was busy setting up the tape recorder while Marshall went hunting for some choice lyrics.

"I know they're here somewhere" he said as he went through the pile of journals and assorted papers on his writing desk.

"Maybe you would find them sooner if you weren't such a slob" the girl retorted.

"Oh whatever," he said with a role of his eyes, "have you _seen_ your room lately? Aren't chicks supposed to be the tidy ones?" He felt something bounce off his back and snickered in victory. At that time he had resorted to looking through the drawers, giving up the search on the desktop. After a minute he heard footsteps approach from behind and saw Fionna's head peak up over his shoulder.

"Here, let me help." She proceeded to go through a different set of drawers and pull out a few sheets of paper.

"Is this it?" She held out a piece scribbled with Marshall's distinctive handwriting. Without looking up he continued to rummage through the bottom of another drawer.

"No, wait, it's in this book right…here! Ye-heah." With a flourish the vampire held up the leather-bound journal in triumph. He hovered over to where the blonde was standing and briefly looked over the page in her hand.

"But we'll use this too." He took it from her and floated over to their set up. Fionna started to push all the open drawers back in one by one. It took her awhile to get the last one to close, probably because it was so old and filled with too much of Marshall's junk. With one final push she got the thing to budge, having to use a little extra force. In the corner of her eye she saw something come popping out right before the drawer closed shut, jarred loose from the extra air her efforts had produced.

"Hey, Marshie, what's this?"

"Hu-what?" He was in the middle of tuning his axe base when he heard Fionna call to him. He raised his head slightly, not wanting to look away from what he was doing.

"Is this…you?!" She was holding the picture up to her face, trying to make out the details through the cloudy film the years had coated it in. It was incredibly small, probably just a piece from a larger picture. She was able to make out a younger version of Marshall, probably only about four or five years old. He still had a few missing teeth giving gaps in his smile, which he certainly didn't seem to be ashamed to show. He was wearing a pair of blue, or at least she thought it was blue, overalls and an oversized tee shirt. His arms were to his sides, to make space for the two other figures flanking him. Fionna wasn't able to see their faces or even the outer edges of their bodies, probably a part of the other piece out there somewhere. She could tell that both figures wrapped their arms behind the little boy, one probably male and female now that she looked closer. She could see a section of flowing raven colored hair on the figure to the left, reaching chest length. The adventuress wasn't sure what to make of it. She had never seen a picture so noticeably old first of all, let alone a picture of Marshall Lee.

"What do you-" he looked up and finally realized what exactly his friend was holding. He was next to her in an instant, grabbing the scrap out of her hand.

"Oh…yeah. That's me." Just like that, the vampire king flung the photo over his shoulder as if it were a gum wrapper and went back to what he was doing before. Fionna grabbed it out of the air and continued to stand there staring at it, shocked by his nonchalant reaction. Had that been a picture of her, the human girl would have gone crazy trying to look for the missing piece and finding anything else like it. But not him, not Marshall.

"That's it? Just, 'oh,yeah.'?"

"I said, 'that's me', too."

"You know what I mean!" She crossed her arms puffed out her cheeks in frustration. His attitude was starting to get irritating.

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about it. It's just me and my parents. Big whoop." He started to test out different chords and sing lyrics to them quietly under his breath. Fionna's mouth opened wider, not believing what she just heard.

"Are you kidding me?! Parents? What, wh-"

"Just drop it, ok?!" The sharp edge in his voice took the girl aback. He looked straight at her. His eyes, cold and unreadable, were starting to get a red tint around the irises. She knew him well enough to know that meant he was genuinely getting angry. When he saw her take a half step back Marshall's face changed immediately, reverting back to his normal non-serious expression.

"C'mon, let's just forget about it, ok? I was meaning to throw out all the junk in those drawers anyway, so you can toss that out too. Let's just do the song, cool?"

He thought she had listened to him that time because the photo was never brought up again and they acted like it never happened. Seeing it now Marshall realized she probably stuffed it away at the first opportunity.

_Shoulda figured. She's always getting into people's biz trying to help and stuff. She never learns_. He flung the picture somewhere deep into the bag. He made a point of not bringing up his past, especially about _her._ He couldn't even bring it up to himself let alone other people. _Let alone Fionna, the girl who tries to save everything and everyone. _

_Why would she even want this anyway? Why does she care so much? _The question bothered him, but the vampire king couldn't bring himself to think about it further. Suddenly he felt extremely exhausted, tired down to his bones. Marshall felt his eyes begin to get heavy and droop. He probably would have fallen asleep if his ride didn't abruptly stop. He felt Cake shrink and Fionna dismount, swing her bag over her shoulder and pop the flap open. The vampire flew out and morphed back into his normal body hovering slightly over the ground in front of the two sisters.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight, dude. I had fun, even if the last part was a little intense." He gave her a tired half smile and ruffled up her bangs.

"Anytime, kiddo. You too, kitty." He tried to do the same to Cake but she shrunk back before he could touch her, narrowing her eyes at him. He laughed slightly and turned towards his door, floating into the threshold and was about to close it when Fionna's voice called out to him.

"Be careful, ok? I don't want to lose you forreal." He stopped for a second, then closed the door all the way without another word. Hardly able to keep his feet off the ground the vampire went through the living room up the stairs, barely able to keep his eyes open. He flopped on his queen size bed fully clothed, ready to just forget about everything and leave the day behind. He blinked for the final time and let his exhaustion over take him, but not before he got a final whiff of a familiar lingering grassy scent.


	2. Chapter 2

The familiar sight of Fionna and Cake's tree fort came into view as the sisters crested the hill.

"Ooh, baby, it's good to be home! Ma paws are exhausted from walking so much," breathed Cake as she caught sight of their home. It had been a long night for the both of them. Singing, dancing, even battling against a certain vampire king and his army of the undead proved to be exhausting. It was already well past sunrise as they got to their front door.

"Yeah," the little adventuress yawned as they walked into their loot room, "I'm ready to catch some z's."

"Shh…baby, look." Cake pointed her paw over to the living room, were their friend and constant 'damsel in distress' Prince Bubba Gumball laid sleeping. His limbs were sprawled out over the top and sides of their couch. It was apparent that the little sofa was too small for the grown man. As uncomfortable as it seemed Gumball was surprisingly fast asleep, snoring and all. It was interesting to see the usually uptight and proper prince sleep in such a way. To Fionna it was actually kind of cute.

"Let's not wake him," said Cake as she quietly tip-toed her way up the ladder to their bedroom.

"Ok. I'll be there in a sec." Cake nodded silently and was out of sight. Fionna crossed the room over to a tiny closet on the far wall, careful not to make too much noise. Inside she found the blanket she used whenever the living room got too chilly and draped it over her arm. She went back to the couch and lightly pulled the soft fleece cover over as much of Gumball's body as she could. With care, she tucked it under his chin and stepped back to admire her work. She was about to leave when she heard him stir a bit and let out a soft moan. She turned back to him and knelt down close to his face.

"F…Fionna..." He said almost inaudibly. The prince turned his head slightly towards the blonde, opening his eyes a little through the sleepy haze.

"Shh…Gumball it's ok," she whispered, "go back to sleep." She tightened the blanket a little more, encouraging him.

"Are…you, alright? You were…on roof wi…with him. You…never came in..." A pang of guilt hit Fionna at his words.

_Glob, he waited up for me? I feel so jerky… _She never intended for him to even notice she was gone, let alone wait all night for her on a lumpy couch. She was surprised by how kind he was. Most of the time she felt like he barely knew she existed, at least outside of taste-testing and rescuing.

_He's such a nice guy…what was I thinking?_ She wanted to hit herself for being so dumb.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She smiled softly at him, her stomach twisting into knots. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at her words, sending her deeper into her guilt trip.

"I'm glad…Fionna…I just want…you…s..safe…" He started to drift off again. Fionna's cheeks were burning almost as pink as the prince's hair. Seeing him so up close reminded her why she got such a big crush on him in the first place. He was honestly one of the most handsome people in all of Aaa. Though his features were slightly feminine, they were inviting in a way the human girl couldn't explain. His face was so open and honest, always smiling and humming to himself. It was even more so now that he was half asleep. The faintest smile stayed on his lips, eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. She felt her blush creep down her neck as she found herself unable to look away.

"Thank you." She really meant it. She paused before speaking again.

"Goodnight…sweet prince." With all the nerve she could muster, Fionna bent down and placed a soft peck on his cheek. She lingered for a second before forcing herself to pull away. His smile became more pronounced as he finally drifted off completely, resuming his quiet snoring. The blonde got up carefully from the floor, giving the prince one last glance before tip-toeing up the ladder and hoisting herself up into her room. Cake was off in her favorite drawer out cold. Trying her best to keep her eyes open Fionna fumbled around the floor until she finally found her red onesie. She slipped off her street clothes and pulled on her soft pajamas, letting out another huge yawn as she climbed into her favorite sleeping bag. In the few moments she had left before succumbing to her fatigue, events from the night began to wiggle their way into her mind. She frowned at the memory of Marshall taking Cake from her, fighting his undead army as he rhymed about how evil he was, and especially when he pretended to be fatally wounded. But when she thought of only a few minutes earlier, as they sang together on stage, even his surprise visit to her house, the little adventuress couldn't help but smile. _That_ was the Marshall Lee she liked the most. The one that wasn't concerned with showing off or looking cool. The one that didn't try to prove his wickedness to the world. She preferred the Marshall that took her on such great adventures, who let his guard down and sang along, who stopped trying so hard to be _bad._ The real Marshall Lee, the one different from what everyone else perceived him to be. The person he was only around her. She believed in his goodness. That no matter what he said or where he came from, deep down he was truly the person she thought he was. Which was why she was so hurt when she thought she had lost him forever.

A horrible feeling began to rise up in her chest at the thought of it. Tears began to spring into her eyes, so she quickly thought about something else to keep herself from crying. Even though she had fun with Marshall, there was always Gumball. Though she had always had a crush on him, she never really knew he cared much for her…until today. It made her smile even more, running the memory over and over in her head. Maybe she did have a chance with him. Maybe he wasn't right for her at all. But her exhaustion wouldn't let her think about it much longer. She finally drifted off into slumber, a tiny smile on her face. She would have tomorrow to worry.


	3. Chapter 3

_Marshall Lee couldn't stop. The resounding thuds in the distance grew louder on approach, shaking the ground beneath his feet like one earthquake after another. It was hard to keep a steady pace, his vision blurred by the constant vibration of the ground beneath him, feet stumbling, desperately trying to keep moving. Whatever it was, it was close. Too close._

_In all his life, alive or undead, Marshall had never felt so afraid._

_It didn't come in waves, something much more bearable then the gut wrenching fear gripping his body. It was constant, flowing over and in him, making him want to break out of his very skin, anything to get away. Giving his legs the drive to move past the aching pain. Giving his eyes the will to look past the darkness and search for any means of refuge._

_Pitch black. Nothingness assaulted his eyesight. The world around him was empty, devoid of form or substance. He couldn't tell the distance before him, the distance behind, whether or not he was any farther away from his pursuer. _

_It snarled. Taunted him. Driving him forward like a sheep to slaughter. He dared not look back, but he felt its presence on his back. It reverberated something malicious, deadly, pure darkness itself, trying to reach over and over take him._

_But he would not let himself die._

_Suddenly, off on the distance, he could see it. Light. It invited him in, beckoning him further. Joy leaped up into his chest. Finally there was hope. It came closer and closer into view. He felt his feet pick up in response, increasing his gate. He felt the presence behind him begin to grow weaker; the thuds grew softer, until it disappeared entirely as he entered into the halo._

_An angel. Smiling. Draped in white, arms outstretched. Drawing close and wrapping him in a tight embrace. Light jumped over his body, danced on their skin, intertwining. It was alive. It filled his body, illuminating him from the inside. The beautiful creature beamed at him, her hair flowing over her shoulders and back like liquid gold. She drew her mouth to his, intertwining their breaths, filling him to the brim. His eyes closed, rolling back in pure ecstasy. He had never felt so…alive. His entire being buzzed like the air around them. Their bodies intertwined, melting into each other, forming one flesh. He opened his eyes to behold her._

_Then he saw her face._

"_Fionna?"_

_She smiled one final time before the darkness pierced her. _

_He felt himself scream as she was torn from his arms, splitting apart before his eyes, disappearing into the shifting void before him. His ears were filled with the same dark, echoing laughter, growing increasingly sinister and spiteful. The horrible presence took back its lost territory, violently spreading into the space all around, piercing, strangling, soaking into every area. He felt himself being lifted into the air. His pursuer laughed, dark and reverberating into the void. It seized him, pushing sharply into his chest. He felt his eyes roll back and his body give way, his life force spilling out of him, his lungs shattering, his mind imploding. Then fear gripped him one last time as he realized:_

_His heart was beating._

* * *

Marshall Lee awoke to the sound of himself screaming. He shot out of his bed into the air, hissing defensively, flashing his fangs around an empty room. He gripped his chest, checking to make sure he was right. His heart remained silent and unmoving.

He let out a long sigh of relief as he drifted back onto his bed. He closed his eyes and leaned back onto his pillows, exhausted. It had all just been a bad dream. For the next few minutes he laid there in silence, trying to calm his ragged breaths. Though he was undead and no longer had any need for oxygen, the vampire found breathing deeply in and out soothing, calming his tense body. Sweat beaded his forehead and frame, causing his clothes to stick and made him feel trapped. He threw off his shirt, then pants right after, kicking them onto the floor. The cold air against his clammy skin finally brought everything back to normal, breathing out heavily one final time.

Living in a cave meant that the vampire couldn't judge the time of day by the light of the sun, but he figured he hadn't been out for more than a few hours. All was quiet in the tiny lake house. The only noise came from the occasional gust of wind as it rattled its way through the vampires cave, shaking the occasion pebble and droplet of water out of place. On his quest for a home Marshall Lee had purposefully chosen this place for its remoteness and solidarity. But at times like this he wished there was something to distract his troubled mind. Then the he remembered another feature of his home he could finally put to use. He rose out of bed, carrying his body down and out the front door, stopping on the pier in front of the small lake next to the house. The water was dark and still, restricting him from seeing anything but his own refection. His skin was paler than usual, flushed out of any color he had left. His eyes where bloodshot and irritated, held by droopy swollen lids and dark bags underneath. The vampire shook his head; he truly looked as bad as he felt. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, Marshall Lee inhaled one final time before submerging his body down into the dark abyss.

The water flowed up and over his body, wrapping him with its cool touch. Goose bumps broke out all over his skin. His dark raven hair ebbed and flowed like the liquid around him. The vampire kept his eyes shut and let his limbs go prone as he sunk down deeper, feeling the lead ooze out of his flesh. He was surprised by how deep the water was as he felt himself go down farther and farther. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the strange new world. The water down below was much clearer then from above. Marshall could see the outlines of large stalagmites as he drifted past them, some larger than his own body. The occasional piece of vegetation drifted past, but other than that the water was just as empty as the cave above.

Finally somewhat at peace, the vampire began to move his arms and legs again. He moved them in sync, giving his body enough momentum to glide upwards and breach the surface. Marshall rolled himself onto his back, floating on top of the surface of the water, moving his arms in lazy circular motions. He stared up at the celling in concentration. At last, he had the strength enough to think.

_Was that really a dream? Glob…It had been so real. All of it._ _Even…_The vision of her face came back. It hit him like a punch to the gut. His throat tightened and suddenly grew dry, just the memory of it all. _She was just so… _He searched for words to describe his thoughts. Pretty? Didn't even begin to cover. Striking? It still didn't encompass her. Beautiful? Fell short. Completely short. Nothing he could think of could even begin to describe her. And what seeing her there in such a horrifying place did to him. He thought harder, materializing all the details behind his eyelids as he closed them. Light was not just around her. It was in her. Came from her. Her smile sent him reeling. Her skin was like that of the alabaster statues of old, crafted by master artists and captivated generations. Her eyes pierced through brighter still, blue as the sky. It not only looked at him, it drew him in, it saw his very interior.

And then that kiss.

The vampire could still feel the sensation on his lips. Though he felt extreme contempt for himself for even thinking of his friend that way, he relished it, even wishing it would last. Even the form of a smile began to develop on his features.

Until he heard the laughter.

The same thing that taunted him. The very thing that ripped his angel out of his arms.

Marshall Lee's eyes shot open. They took on their demon form, red pupils floating in a black empty void. Shooting out of the water, he turned in circles bearing his deadly fangs around, wiping his head around in search of the source. He felt his face contort and twist in pure unadulterated rage. The same presence had come back, pulsating, swirling around the cave, it tendrils sliding over his skin. He violently tried to shake it off, hissing louder. His body swelled, responding to the rage flooding his senses. He threw his head back and a deep sinister voice came barreling out.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" The ominous laughter only grew louder. It mocked him. It flooded his ears. Its pressure was overwhelming, pushing on him, seeping into his flesh. The atmosphere grew thick and blistering hot. He didn't realize it, but the vampire's skin began to glow as if it was on fire. The water that laid below churned into a rolling boil, bubbling up over the edges of the lake, until finally in response to Marshalls howling, it shot up in the air with deadly speed, knocking the vampire against the stone ceiling. The last thing he remembered as the ground rushed up to meet him was the laughter echoing through his ears.


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to Good Girl, Bad Boy, Chapter 4! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows. It means a lot! Chapter 5 coming in 2 weeks! Hope to see you then!**

**So without further adieu, Chapter 4!**

** ~V**

* * *

Pancakes.

That was the first thing the little adventuress noticed before even opening her eyes. The buttery, sweet aroma wafting around her room. Glob, it was like heaven. She turned her body over in her sleeping bag, relishing the moment. She cracked her heavy lids open a bit, not in any rush to wake up. Light flooded in through the window, bathing her room with its warm presence. She didn't want to leave her comfortable cocoon, but the smell coupled with her empty stomach proved to be good motivation.

Slowly she slid herself out of the sleeping bag, stretching her back and limbs with an impromptu yawn as she rested her feet on the wood floor next to her bed. Quiet chatter drifted in from the first floor, which was puzzling because Fionna could swear she heard two voices. She looked around for her sister who, sure enough, was missing from her usual place inside her drawer. Cake was usually the bigger sleepy head of the two, so the fact that she was already up and about after the night they just had was interesting. Whoever it was downstairs must be pretty important.

Still quite groggy the human girl lifted to her feet and went to investigate. As she climbed down the ladder to the floor below the smell and the voices became more pronounced, echoing through the halls. It was definitely Cake she heard, the cat's voice was hard to miss, but the other was still a mystery. Well, it didn't last that way very long. As soon as she walked a bit and turned the corner most of her questions were answered. Sitting at the table was her feline companion, gabbing away between bites of maple syrup and fluffy pancake, bubbly and happy as always. In front of the stove was the source of the other voice. At the sight of him, clad in pink with a frilly apron around his frame, Fionna rubbed her eyes, more out of disbelief then fatigue.

"Gumball?"

Both turned towards her in unison, faces lighting up in smiles. The gummy prince set down his spatula and rubbed his hands in a dishrag as he took in the sight of her.

"Fionna, good morning! I was wondering when you were going to join us. Please, have a seat!" He motioned towards an empty spot at the table where Cake was currently sitting. Not knowing what else to do she obeyed, still not completely sure of what was going on.

_What is he doing here?_ She furrowed her brow a bit. _He never comes by the tree house much unless he's collecting taxes or some other boring junk. Unless… _Her mind immediately went back to the night before and a blush broke out across her cheeks. _He never went back home?!_ Now she was really confused.

"Baby, are you ok?" Fionna quickly snapped out of her daze and saw two worried eyes looking back at her. "You look flushed." Cake stretched her upper torso over the table and took Fionna's face in her paws, examining her. She knew Fionna well enough to know when something was bothering her.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just kinda tired." She gave her sister a weak smile. Cake narrowed her eyes skeptically, shrinking back to her normal length, not pushing the matter further.

"So…Gumball and I were just talking about his _fabulous_ pancake recipe! What is it that you put in here again?"

"Actually it took a good helping of science to make this recipe. I made sure each individual grain of flour was sifted down to the atom with my sift-o-maticerer…" Whenever Gumball ever started talking about his scientific method the blonde's eyes usually glazed over and became lost in her daydreams, but this time she just stared at him, looking at the way his eyes began to light up. Just like a child walking into a candy store. Though science wasn't exactly the adventuress' favorite subject, she liked the way Gumball got so animated whenever he would talk about it. Besides baking, science was his other passion, which suited him because even though he was kind of a stick in the mud, he was brilliant. He was always inventing some amazing machine or doing some really cool experiment that left Fionna spellbound with how all those ideas came out of one pink gum prince. She didn't realize that as she became lost in thought, Fionna was still staring absently at Gumball as he spoke, resting her head on one hand and tilting it slightly, a blush still on her cheeks. It wasn't until she realized that Gumball had met her eyes with his and had started to call her name that she snapped out of it.

"Hu-what?" She said sitting up right.

"I asked if you thought regular or genetically modified baking soda was best to use when baking, but you seemed to have lost focus. Is everything alright?" He looked genuinely concerned, making the human girl feel guilty for not listening to a word he said.

"Yeah, dude, I'm cool. It's just…" She trailed off as she found a sudden interest in her bunny hat, not wanting to look at his attractive pink eyes as the pink on her cheeks increased. How was she supposed to say that the reason she had been such a space case was because all she wanted to do was stare at him?

"Ah!" Gumball's sudden outburst startled the sisters a bit, Cake's tail frizzing slightly as a result. With a smile and a slight flourish the prince went back to his set up on the stove and began piling things onto a plate as Fionna and Cake watched.

"Please pardon my rudeness," he said as he began to pour a glass of milk, "you must be hungry! And here I was gabbing away about baking soda." He chuckled a bit. The human girl was still not completely conscious so it took her awhile to figure out what he was talking about. Then turning on his heels and with a slight sweep of his arm Prince Gumball placed the cup and plate in front of the girl, topped with a generous serving of flapjacks, steam rising from the top, dripping in a dark amber liquid that was maple syrup.

Fionna's eyes grew wide at the sight of it, her stomach calling out to her to take that first bite. Just the smell began to renew her energy as she took a fork from off the table and took a big chuck of the tower into her mouth. The sugary, creamy taste ran over her taste buds; its warm sensation filled her mouth. As soon as the first part went down her throat she went back with her fork for another, not wanting to leave a scrap of the food on her plate.

Gumball looked on with quiet satisfaction, a smirk pulling up his lips. He enjoyed watching her eat with such enthusiasm, a characteristic she exhibited in everything she did. No matter what it was; adventuring, helping others, or even just normal everyday tasks, she always found a way to fill it with life and energy. He truly admired her passion.

"How is it?" He asked, though he could guess the answer.

"Math!" she said. Or at least that's what Gumball thought she said, it sounded like more along the lines of, "muuuuaaaarthe!" between the pieces of pancake and gulps of milk. She was finally down to her last layer, shoving the rest of it into her mouth and chewed as much as she could. With a final slurp of milk and lick of her plate Fionna was finished, leaning blissfully back in her chair. She turned her head to face him, a dreamy smile painting her features. She had forgotten her confusion for the time being.

"Thanks man. That was…wow." Gumball laughed pleasantly, crossing his arms behind his back. They stayed there looking at each other for a moment, smiling slightly awkwardly in the silence. Cake watched the two with a satisfied grin, realizing that it was her time to go.

"Well, it's been fun, but Lord Monochromicorn and I have plans for the afternoon. I'll see you too later." Cake drew out the last syllable a little, adding a mischievous tone to her voice. Fionna turned back at her slightly, enough to see the cat wink before going out the door, leaving the pair alone.

_Glob Cake…_ Fionna thought to herself, furrowing her brow, _like I wasn't blushing enough already._

She heard Gumball clear his throat from behind her and turned her attention back to the young prince. He proceeded to sit down in an empty chair, pulling it slightly towards the girl as he sat. They didn't say anything for a while, awkwardly smiling in the opposite direction of each other. Secretly, the pair was glad to be alone together. Each for different reasons, but nonetheless still happy to be in each other's company.

"Um…," said Fionna breaking the silence, still not looking directly at the prince, "thanks again for breakfast. That was really cool of you."

"Of course, no need to thank me! You understand my love of cooking." He rubbed the back of his head a bit. "It was no trouble going back home to get the ingredients."

"Wait, you went all the way back to the castle?! You didn't have to do that!" Fionna continued to grow redder still, embarrassed that he made the trip there and back just to make her breakfast. Though it wasn't that far away, the Candy Kingdom was a ways to go without the help of a stretchable kitty coach to make the trip. Her confusion came back in full swing.

_This is so unlike him. Is this the same dude I had to lumpin' carry up a ladder on my back only a few hours ago?! I even ditched him last night for his least favorite person…_The guilt came back in full swing as well.

"No no, it's alright! You didn't have the ingredients here already, and I spent so much time working on the formula, it was about time that I tested it out on someone." Fionna breathed a small sigh of relief. Now _that _was the Gumball she knew.

_I'm just blowing things way out of proportion. Nothing weird going on here. _She felt her cheeks go down in temperature.

"Besides…seeing as you back around 6 in the morning, whatever it was you went to do with Marshall Lee must have been pretty exhausting."

Gumball's expression suddenly changed, which caught the adventuress' attention. He moved his eyes away, his smile no longer there but the semblance of a frown taking its place, crossing his legs and interlacing his fingers on top of his knee. His body language changed too; he became more rigid and leaned himself towards her slightly, finally meeting her gaze with his. His embarrassment and bashfulness had left; replaced by the serious and somber expression Fionna knew all too well whenever the prince gave a piece of his mind. He paused slightly before speaking.

"Fionna, when you didn't come back in last night, at first I thought you were just having a lengthy conversation. But when I heard the sound of something fly away and went back to check and you weren't there…it hurt. I know I may not always be the most fun to be around, especially compared to that…well, you know who I'm talking about. But at least I try and think about what's best for you." He looked deeper into her eyes, which brought the girls heart rate up and running harder in her chest.

"Gumball..." He raised a hand, urging her to let him finish.

"You may not know much about him, Fionna, but I do. I know his true nature. And I _know _what he is capable of. How he can hurt the people close to him. So when it took you so long to come back…" He looked off and closed his eyes for a moment, a pained expression taking form on his features. As if the memory itself afflicted him. "…I feared the worse. I searched around Aaa for a while, but when I didn't find you I came back here. And I decided I wasn't going to leave until I knew you were ok."

Fionna thought back to the moment she found him asleep on the couch…the short conversation they had as he was still half asleep. How it must have felt to just wait and see. Her mouth went dry. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with. He took her hand; tenderly placing it between his own as he looked up at her again. She tried hard to swallow the lump that had logged itself in her throat.

"I meant it when I said I want you safe. You matter to me, Fionna. And…I'm not sure what I would do without you. You and Cake are the only real family I have." He squeezed her hand gently. "Now…promise me you'll be more careful next time, ok?" He looked at her earnestly. Pleading with his eyes and touch.

Fionna had never seen Gumball like this. Yet for so long she wished she would find herself in this situation. With the two alone with each other. With no candy people to distract them, or a crazed ice queen to put them in danger. Her hand in his, the feeling of his warm touch, eyes staring into hers with his complete and undivided attention. At a moment where she could muster the courage enough to finally let out all the thoughts and emotions she had kept suppressed inside her ever since she was 14.

But not today. Not like this.

"I…promise." She let the words out under her breath, ragged and pained. As soon as they left her mouth she shot out of her seat. Unable to look at him she focused on the ground between them. Had she been looking, she would have noticed the surprise that took place on the prince's face. He pushed past him and made her way over to the ladder, placing one foot on a rung before speaking again.

"…Thanks for the pancakes…I'll…see ya later…" And with that she was gone.

Somewhere outside wind chimes sounded. A breeze rustled the leaves of the tree, creating a melody of sound as it moved and shook. Gumball stood in the kitchen alone.

_What…did I do?_ Just as confused as the young blonde herself, he left for home.


	5. Chapter 5 Interlude

**Hey all, it's me again.**

**I know I promised y'all a 5th chapter eons ago...but I am knee-deep in writer's block.**

**It's not that I don't know were I'm going, on the contrary, I can see the ending clearly in my head...I just don't know how to get there.**

**Also I feel like my writing style is getting repetitive, and that makes me sad. Hopefully my new beta and I can make some headway.**

**This was the farthest I could get before I got stuck. Hopefully I will update soon!**

**~V**

* * *

The first thing Marshall Lee noticed before even opening his eyes was the silence. And the throbbing in his back.

The cave acted as if nothing had ever happened. The noonday sun tried to make its way back into the space where Marshall resided, stretching itself as far as it could, but only made it far enough for Marshall's skin to buzz slightly. He moved as if he was still in the water, barely able to sustain a hover two inches of the ground. When he finally managed to pick himself up Marshall made his way back inside. He paused in the doorway and looked around. The space reflected the cave outside, quiet and still. He even peaked around the corners of the room for good measure. No one else was inside. No one to make that laughter. Had he the energy to, the vampire king would have been thoroughly confused. But he was too wiped to be confused.

In that moment Marshall's stomach began to vie for his attention. He made his way over to the fridge and found inside a bunch of apples, a few cherries, and a bowl of his personal favorite: strawberries. He gathered them all into his arms and walked back into the middle of the living room and sat, spreading his haul out on the floor in front of him. Taking a strawberry to his mouth, the vampire hastily wedged his teeth into its flesh and drained the fruit of its color all at once. He felt the essence of the color sink into the flesh behind his eyes, renewing his tired nerves and began to refresh his tired body. He threw the empty carcass to the side and started on another, one after the other as if something was going to come and take his meal away from. One by one the floor around him began to fill up with gray shriveled bodies as energy began to build in the vampire's body. Before long Marshall felt his mind un-numb itself and felt his personality return to him.


End file.
